Dark and wickedly entertaining, Beasts Clawing at Straws finds a variety of low-lives trying to outwit each other as they scheme, lie and murder to make money and save their own skin in a crime caper led by some of Korea’s finest stars including Jung Woo-sung, Jeon Do-yeon and 2021 Academy Award® Winner Youn Yuh-jung.
Downtrodden Joong-man barely gets by working at a sauna and taking care of his sick mother until he finds a bag full of cash in the locker room which offers him a shot at a better life. Conniving Tae-young is in deep with a psychotic loan shark after his girlfriend runs off with the money he borrowed. Cunning Mi-ran is caught between her violent husband and a dead-end job in a seedy hosted club, until she finds a young lover who’s willing to kill for her…
The destinies of these hard-luck grifters and troubled souls slowly converge as they scheme their way towards striking it rich or saving their necks. Without any of them realising it, a dog-eat-dog game has begun.
Winner of the prestigious ‘Tiger Award’ at International Film Festival Rotterdam, the directorial debut of Yong Hoon-Kim is a deliciously twisted black comedy that’s packed with surprises and features a top cast of Korean talent including Jung Woo-sung (Steel Rain, Asura), Jeon Do-yeon (The Housemaid), Bae Sung-woo (Veteran), Jeong Man-sik (The Tiger), and 2021 Best Supporting Actress Academy Award® Winner Youn Yuh-jung (Minari).
